trinacriabob

I'm having trouble letting go ... of my Alitalia app!

It is indeed a very cool thing! It's a place in the flyover zone that you can't fly under. LOL ... sorry. Someone in the audience always asks about this. It's interesting when they slide in the final piece - the keystone - and it fits perfectly. (Of course, there have to be tolerances all throughout.) The movie they show is very informative. A lot of cities can't plan ahead because they don't know what's coming, like the arch. There should have been a mall or lawn devoid of buildings beyond the arch stretching quite a ways to the west. One big turd is Sacramento, CA. There is a mall to the west, unobstructed between the interstate and the capitol. There should have been 3 more malls in the other directions. To the north of the capitol, it gets dumpy very quickly.

I remember when they reported from overseas where the parents were and the mother was completely dysregulated, cursing America and saying they were good boys. Good boys don't plan and make lethal attacks at major civic events. There is a big ingrate factor in America. Some people are able to move here and are then still disgruntled. It's a hard thing to come to realize that this country works in concentric circles. There is still a lot of power in wealthy WASPy dynasty type faimilies here and the circles then fan out. People who are more and more dissimilar from that yardstick find themselves on outer rings and they might be pissed. However, their kids have the option to break that fairly fast by getting an education and doing things with it. This is even more problematic in (South)Western Europe where who you know means even more. Sure, some actress from Sicily or singer from Naples from the working classes got a break, but it's not that common because it's systemic. Case in point: grown-up frat boy type Jesse Watters made an uncalled for comment about the likely fate of the accused shooter. If you think that, shut up. It's obvious that Jesse Watters is very silver spooned as he is one arrogant SOB and thinks he can say what he wants. They got rid of Tucker Carlson. They could get rid of a few others on that network. Some people appreciate being here, knowing it's not perfect, and some people are here and fuming.

Don't be, because it was a little stressful as a kid, with only one rough - very rough - crossing. I had no choice in the first 2 round trips, or 4 crossings. My parents bought passages on the ships so we could move overseas on them ... and back ... and across ... and back. LOL. Passage 5 was not right after college, but close enough. I had to do it. The others are more recent. FWIW, crossing to the UK is 7 days. Crossing to Italy (no longer a thing) was about 7 or 8, reaching the Strait of Gibraltar in about 5 to 6 days, usually with a stop at Lisbon before entering the Med. Yes, it is possible to do the cargo ship thing. You'll have lodging and your meals, but I don't know what else. On a ship, you'll never get bored because there's so much to do. There are also nooks and crannies where you can indeed burrow, relax, and read/write.

There is "some" relief about the "closure," but also one big WTF. They apprehended the likely perpetrator of the murder of Brian Thompson in Manhattan. America is transfixed when someone in a high profile case is on the lam - think Brian Laundrie and Scott Peterson, even though with similar but different circumstances. In the movies, "Thelma and Louise" come to mind, at the very least. The arrest came about fairly quickly. Thank the McDonald's in Altoona, PA. The WTF is his background. WTF! He has a bachelors and masters degree in a STEM field from Penn. He was in a fraternity. He went to an exclusive prep school in Baltimore. He was the valedictorian. He was capable enough in his chosen field. It's interesting and bizarre that he shares an alma mater with Trump and Musk. From where he lived, Ivy League Penn, in Philly, is really close to the Baltimore area, so he didn't stray far from home. What made him snap? How did he go from Ivy League grad to marksman and gun connoisseur? Did he grow up with a silver spoon or not? What was the household like? Everything on paper so far looks standard. This is going to take some unraveling. He obviously wasn't as "smart" as he thought he was. I feel bad for everyone adversely affected. I'm thinking his parents, relatives, and friends are in shock and some people will not treat them too kindly going forward, which is unfair.

First, the greenhouse of the charred Charger says 2006 and on up to the redo in the mid-2010s, so no interest on my part. But thanks! (Medium well for me.) - - - - - The ocean liner video is true, for the most part. When the ocean liners were pulled, there was a niche for one to stay in the game - the QE2 (1969-2008). That ensured she was close to full and profitable. I've been on it once and it was sleek and modern (for being from the OG group). They kept their promise and she is now a hotel in Dubai. She looks the same, minus the lifeboats. I would love to stay there for a night or two, but Dubai isn't on my radar. The France (1962-1974) was the longest ship for decades, between 1,000 and 1,100 ft. long, and French food as standard equipment every day would have grabbed me, but she started to sail far from full and bled red ink. The S.S. United States situation rotting away in Philly saddens me. It should be redone and parked next to a venue in Manhattan. It's the U.S.'s very last true ocean liner. Americans don't have as much of a connection with ships, IMO. Italian Line had 4 ships (after the Andrea Doria replacement with the Leonardo) into the late '70s, retiring them on a staggered schedule. They took the southern route, so there was more time to enjoy the pools. They differentiated themselves with white hulls and superstructures to reflect that sunnier route. The food was great - better on the 2 smaller ones compared to the 2 bigger ones, per my parents. I've done 4 crossings with the family as a kid and it changes how you see the world - for the better. The floor/deck plans below the promenades were "messy" (labyrinthine) to keep people in their 1 of 3 classes, so not that amenable to conversion. The Leonardo was the only ship that crossed into the Pacific, on a unique 41-day cruise to Hawaii, from Italy, through the Panama Canal. The Leonardo, relative to size and weight, was the biggest gas guzzler in the fleet - much like the L-1011 relative to other heavies. The current Queen Mary 2 (QM2) is a dream. I've now done the crossing twice. ("Economy class," and perfectly okay, though one inactive member here who could afford the suites up high had to trash it.) It's big and, even if full, it never feels crowded. Not only that, it's beautiful inside and out, and fairly luxurious in a traditional way, but also fairly priced. One of the coolest things is sailing out in tandem with a Staten Island Ferry - what a treat for those lucky commuters and visitors. Also, a crossing is not a cruise - it's a different purpose and different experience, with a diverse crowd using the QM2 for transportation between the U.S. and Europe. Cunard Line (not sure) may have once had the slogan "Getting there is half the fun," IIRC. I'm on board with that! I can be a pedantic nerd when it comes to this topic and I'll own that.

Some "light reading" for Sunday: https://www.assetprotectionplanners.com/planning/homestead-exemptions-by-state/ Go right to the table that shows the maximum homestead exemption amount by state. It varies from none to unlimited, with both some high cost and hick states providing for some very paltry amounts that are less than the cost of a new Mitsubishi Mirage.

Regarding this violent gunning down in Midtown Manhattan of the UnitedHealth CEO, I just took a look at the news feed and it looks like the suspect might have left NYC through Port Authority. They were able to glean that. I think NYPD knows what they're doing ... I hope they do. We do not need more drama. I'm off to look for Cuban food ... that's what my stomach is saying to me.

I was walking by a resto yesterday and heard this from the sidewalk, so it's the last song I "listened" to.

Before I forget, I'll put up this one ... This thing - maybe a 10 year old Buick Verano - almost looks as if enshrined in a glass case! It looks great for enduring the frozen tundra of the GTA. It's actually in a winding pathway under nicer office buildings to access the subway station. I miss these great little cars ... quiet, smooth, nimble, very comfortable up front, fairly good on fuel, and with commendable build quality.

So, here I am, freezing my behind off in the GTA. I'm staying up at the northwest terminus of the TTC (subway) because it's so much cheaper. It's at least 45 minutes from Union Station. No regrets. It's nice and newer up here. My seat neighbor was a married foreign lady (who isn't foreign in the GTA? LOL) and we conversed most of the way. We talked about many things. It turns out she was from Eritrea. She told me that it is possible to go there with some bureaucratic things one has to do first and that Asmara is considered safe. She said that Italian food is sort of standard ... and that it's good! So, between seeing your YouTube and talking to this lady about life and the world, I want to go. I will be in the California desert for my birthday through Christmas, with a "free" roof over my head. Yep, all those Angelenos now living in the desert ... and so many other places. I might even have a swimming pool (and palm trees) to fall asleep next to.

This whole thing is weird. I have always been with the local BCBS affiliate wherever I've lived, with few exceptions. They have been great ... so far. They have had some dense door knobs in 800 customer service, though. I try to be low maintenance as I do not like being ill and going to doctors. I wonder if this sad event has some vigilante stuff behind it. Or there's more than one person behind it. I've had a good PCP since 2019, even though he doesn't seem to like my questions about causality and things that may be interrelated, which are very common in medicine. I'm sorry, but "A-" was my lowest GPA in university level studies, so don't expect me to dumb it down too much. The thorn in my side is his medical assistant who is a white trash witch. I then look this up and see Reddit and Quora are full of threads on this very dynamic. I now go semiannually instead of quarterly because I don't want to interact with her. - - - - - All this talk about religion *sigh* I have a religion, after 16 years in Catholic schools through undergrad, and am now a "casual Catholic." The fly in the ointment is that there are a few - not many - politically charged overly conservative parishes with a-hole priests and "holier than thou" older parishioners. I am not going to shelve my religion, but I do not feel like being around these folks since the flavor is more negative than positive.

Since random thoughts could involve news: in the last few days, the gunning down of a VIP health insurance CEO in Midtown Manhattan has been shocking. Yes, we know that politicians need security details and that movie stars fend off paparazzi and stalkers. But this is creepy in that business people who aren't household words are now obviously also vulnerable. There's a lot more to this that meets the eye, I'm sure. For one, they're finding out more about the perpetrator and there was some sloppiness such that NYPD has gotten a lot of data on him in less than 24 hours and he's not thought to be a "professional." Let's hope they find the perpetrator and get answers for everyone's sake. This is also weird because I have always felt fairly safe walking around Midtown Manhattan. It's an expensive business area and there are a lot of tourists along with the regular area working folks. The world keeps getting weirder and weirder.

The big deal with this song is which person (a male) Carly Simon knew that inspired it. I don't know if it's just pop culture lore, a mix of people, or if it was ever actually revealed. It works better with Carly Simon's unique and robust voice.

I am saddened by the shrinkage in the U.S.'s middle class. That was something that really strengthened this country ... and it did the same for other developed economies that also had a solid middle class population. Those at the "new" bottom are in a state of despair. Those at the top - even though they say they do and make promises - don't seem to care.

I probably already mentioned it. I got to fly on one RT for the first time this summer. I wasn't as impressed as I thought I would be. In economy, it's better for the operator ($) than it is for the passenger. My 2 cents. Also, thank goodness that everyone also made it out of that JAL A350 that got clipped on the runway or taxiway at a major Japanese airport.

This is the one I remember well. It went all the way down the runway, kept going, and then down an embankment next to the 401, a 16, +/-, highway/freeway north of Toronto and inboard from Lake Ontario. Everyone got out. It was raining heavily as this A340 was landing.

I went into Walmart last night and got a "Pat." These types are generally not friendly to me because I might appear Republican and conservative, so I am the establishment. (Yeah ... right ... eye roll) However, this one was nice to me.

I believe that's the WF in Jacksonville, Florida.

Thank you! Things people observe about various groups shouldn't be bashed as stereotypes, but as reasonably good indicators. It's not only that way with the guys, but also with the women. One interesting thing that's going on is that they're even playing the "hard to get" game with their own counterparts where "water seeks its own level" holds, but these guys are going to other countries (Cuba is big) to find wives or shack up honeys. Eventually, the thighs on these thin Italian women will take a hit and they, too, will look like the older Gina Lollobrigida who, after one marriage, did not tie the knot again. Maybe it was her choice, or, who knows .... In the driver's seat ... Oh, well ... I'm not being ageist because it happens to everyone. Some people don't take the humbling all that well. As much as I like Italy and France, and their languages and cultures, they are Europe's worst offenders when it comes to superficiality.

Thank you! Possibly Italy's only colony, with spillover into adjacent countries like Somalia. I have no doubt the regular people would be nice, and probably nicer than most Italians who are constantly tending to their plumage to ensure they exude "la bella figura." My immigrant father would joke many Italians in Italy are much like peacocks. If it's safe, or I could be accompanied, I would like to see it.

This is funny. The guy's name is Richard Burton. Then, he says people say it looks like a platypus. It does. That makes the "dust buster" minivans look like beauty queens.

I just walked out of Cabela's with an on-line order. That place is definitely not tribe for me. I wonder how it would poll.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I llike it that today is probably the only day each year I eat quite a few slices of white turkey meat, but the tryptophan combined with the volume of food can almost knock someone out! For the rest of the day, anyway. Enjoy the long holiday weekend!

I'm not getting this one. I didn't know it could be a PNW person and I've lived there. The photo on the right looks like it might be a relative of the late Sean Connery. * scratching my head *